Mexico, Switzerland and Brazil top World Cup groups as knockout race tightens

Mexico completed a perfect Group A, Switzerland won Group B and Brazil moved to the top of Group C on goal difference as the inaugural 48-team World Cup shifted from reputation to tiebreakers. With 104 matches spread across Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 11 to July 19, the race for the round of 32 turned on points, goal difference and the best-third-place calculations still hanging over several groups.

Mexico’s 2-0 opening win over South Africa set the tone in Group A. The co-host had already been placed by FIFA in position to seal first place on June 18, and topping the group sent Javier Aguirre’s side toward a projected round-of-32 match in Mexico City on June 30. South Africa’s loss left its path dependent on the rest of the section, while South Korea and the Czech Republic remained in the chase behind Mexico.

Group B was decided far more narrowly. Qatar and Switzerland drew 1-1 at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium after Breel Embolo converted a penalty in the 17th minute and Miro Muheim’s stoppage-time own goal in the 94th minute gave Qatar its first point in a World Cup. FIFA also noted a milestone for Ricardo Rodríguez and Granit Xhaka, who matched the Swiss record with 13 World Cup appearances each.

Group C offered the clearest read on which performances looked built for the knockout rounds and which risked flattering the table. Brazil and Morocco drew 1-1 at New York/New Jersey Stadium, with Ismael Saibari and Vinícius Júnior trading goals in a contest that showed pace, direct running and enough finishing quality to matter later in the tournament. Scotland then moved atop the group with a 1-0 win over Haiti on John McGinn’s goal, a result FIFA framed as Scotland’s return to a World Cup for the first time since France 1998.

Brazil answered by beating Haiti 3-0, with Matheus Cunha scoring twice and Vinícius Júnior adding the third. That result lifted Brazil above Morocco on goal difference and underlined how quickly one emphatic win could change a group that had looked open after the draw. Saibari’s strike also carried personal weight: he became the first Moroccan player to score in two straight FIFA World Cup matches after finding the net against Scotland as well.

The standings left the knockout bracket unsettled behind the group winners. Several third-placed teams still had a route through on points, goal difference and other tiebreakers, keeping the round-of-32 picture open even as Mexico, Switzerland and Brazil separated themselves at the top.